Google creates a party boat that doubles as a tech showroom

Over the past few days, reports of a mysterious Google barge floating out on San Francisco Bay began to spread. Some people speculated that the barge would be a new, floating data center, which was an astute observation. Now, however, a local news team, KPIX 5, is reporting that multiple sources have confirmed that the floating barge is not a data center, but — essentially — a Google party boat and showroom.

KPIX 5 states a source who has been aboard the boat claims the first three floors will serve as “dazzling showrooms” that will feature floor lighting and chrome fixtures. Rather than just stuff the barge full of Google’s products, the upper deck will also act as a party deck, featuring bars and lanais (a Hawaiian-style porch).

The barge is composed of interchangeable shipping containers, measuring in at 40 feet each. This allows for Google to disassemble and move the showroom more easily than it could move, for example, a retail store in a mall.

If you have ever been to a big box store that has them, you’ll notice that Google’s little pop-up shop sections aren’t nearly as impressive as its competitor’s stores. For all of Apple Store’s bright lightning and tidy tables adorned with sleek hardware, one thing the stores don’t have is a place for socialization. Google can load its showroom boats full of Nexus and Google Glass devices, but in the end, it’s just a store that’s inconveniently located out on the docks somewhere. If the showroom also has a place to hobnob with the Google elite, though, that’s something Apple doesn’t offer.

At the moment, the CBS news station is the main source reporting that the barge will be a showroom and party boat rather than the speculated floating data center. If those sources are accurate, Google might soon have the most fun tech hardware store on the market, and the best (and only) store on the open seas.